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The New England Patriots have a reunion to attend Monday night in Orchard Park.There the Buffalo Bills await their not-so-close AFC East family for a prime-time matchup carrying all the anticipation that a double-digit point spread could.But there are some connections between the 5-2 Patriots and 2-5 Bills.Seven players in Buffalo’s fold were once Patriots. Two players in New England’s fold were once Bills.Here’s a glance through those roster ties as the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff at New Era Field edges closer.BUFFALOAndre Holmes Jordan Matthews Color Rush Jersey , wide receiver – The Patriots signed Holmes to the practice squad in January 2013, but waived the Hillsdale product during organized team activities that May. Holmes has since made stops with the Oakland Raiders and Bills, with whom the 6-foot-4, 210-pound wideout signed on a three-year deal after free agency opened in 2017. Holmes has caught 121 passes for 1,655 yards and 15 touchdowns since his short time in Foxborough. He’s appeared in all seven games for Buffalo this season, starting two.Conor McDermott, offensive tackle – One of just four selections made by the Patriots in the 2017 NFL draft, arriving in the sixth round at No. 211 overall, McDermott would be waived following his rookie preseason. The Bills claimed the UCLA Bruin the next day. McDermott entered into three games during his first campaign on Buffalo’s 53-man roster, and one thus far into his second. He has played four snaps on offense and 15 on special teams.Ryan Groy, center – The Patriots traded then-rookie linebacker Matthew Wells to the Chicago Bears in exchange for Groy in the midst of training camp in 2015. Groy would be waived with the injury designation as the locker room trimmed from 90 to 75 to 53 by early September, however. The Wisconsin guard-slash-center joined the Bills’ active roster by way of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ practice squad two months later. Groy has played in 44 games for Buffalo dating back to then, getting 13 starts.Robert Thomas, defensive tackle – Thomas, currently in his second stint on Buffalo’s practice squad after a two-game promotion to the 53, signed to New England’s scout team back in November 2015. The former Arkansas defensive tackle left the Patriots as the calendar flipped to December for a spot on the Miami Dolphins’ active roster. Thomas has also been a member of the Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers and New York Giants since entering the league in 2014. He has recorded 22 tackles and one sack.Ramon Humber, linebacker – As the 2016 league year kicked off, Humber’s name was the first Patriots signing to cross the wire. But the veteran linebacker and special-teamer via the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints would be released prior to New England’s preseason finale that August, and agreed to terms with the Bills less than 24 hours later. Humber started a career-high nine games and collected a career-high 89 tackles for Buffalo in 2017. He has played in every game thus far into 2018.Ryan Lewis, cornerback – New England signed Lewis, previously of the Arizona Cardinals, to the practice squad a week into the 2017 regular season. There the undrafted corner out of Pittsburgh remained for the duration of the year. Lewis re-upped with the Patriots on a futures contract in February, yet was waived following the preseason and claimed on Labor Day weekend by Buffalo. Lewis has checked in for his first three NFL regular-season games since then, posting a dozen tackles, a trio of pass deflections and a pair of forced fumbles.Corey Bojorquez, punter – The greatest trick the Patriots ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. And yet the Bills needed more convincing when it came to Bojorquez, the strong-legged lefty punter who never left New England’s sideline during an exhibition game this August. Buffalo claimed Bojorquez at the roster deadline even so, and the rookie free agent has made up for lost time over the last seven weeks. Bojorquez has launched 40 punts – third-most in the league – for an average of 45.8 yards per and a long of 60. He’s had one blocked and was the holder on a run-kick option gone awry, but the preseason All-22 didn’t lie.NEW ENGLANDChris Hogan, wide receiver – Buffalo would be the fourth stop in Hogan’s NFL journey. The wideout Kenny Britt Jersey , who may have used to play lacrosse, spent one season on the Bills’ practice squad and the subsequent three on active roster. Hogan accrued 87 receptions for 886 yards and six touchdowns over that span before departing to New England on a three-year, $12 million restricted offer sheet that went unmatched in March 2016. Hogan, now in the final year of that deal, has reeled in 21 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns for the Patriots this fall.Stephon Gilmore, cornerback – Gilmore entered the league at pick No. 10 overall in 2012, and the South Carolina corner went on to start 66 of his 68 appearances for the organization that drafted him. A Pro Bowler during his final season in Buffalo, Gilmore finished his tenure having totaled 14 interceptions – with one coming against quarterback Tom Brady – and 62 pass deflections. His five-year, $65 million pact with the Patriots has aged well. A handful of 2019 NFL draft prospects attending his week’s Reese’s Senior Bowl will be New England Patriots by the end of April.Leading up to Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. ET exhibition at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, all are on the same playing field. All are installing and executing assignments out of the same syllabus. And “certainly a high percentage of whom are going to be drafted,” as Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said on WEEI during his last scouting trip to Mobile, Ala., in January 2016.“After draft choices are free agents,” added Belichick, “so that’s a large chunk of players and they’re playing football against each other and the competition is relatively equal, which is a lot different than the combine where it’s a few workout drills and that type of thing. So, it’s a totally different situation. But, again, the football part is valuable. Seeing these guys work against each other – and they’re competing because they’re trying to help themselves and look good in this environment – that’s good to see.”It’s closer to what they will see at rookie minicamps and organized team activities.“The all-star games, everybody starts from scratch. They’re all in a new system, if you will,” said Belichick. “That’s what they’re all going to be doing when they go to a new team in a few months anyway.”As for which ones will find themselves in New England, that’s a dart throw between the North and South rosters. But some darts will hit the board. Belichick, director of player personnel Nick Caserio, director of college scouting Monti Ossenfort and Co. have drafted 20 Senior Bowl prospects over the last five years. An additional seven Senior Bowl prospects over that span signed their first NFL contracts with New England as undrafted free agents.Here’s a five-year glance through the index.2018Isaiah Wynn, OT, Georgia – first roundDuke Dawson, CB, Florida – second roundJa’Whaun Bentley, LB, Purdue – fifth roundBraxton Berrios, WR Mike Gillislee Color Rush Jersey , Miami – sixth round2017Derek Rivers, DE, Youngstown State – third roundAntonio Garcia, OT, Troy – third roundConor McDermott, OT, UCLA – sixth roundHarvey Langi, LB, Brigham Young – undraftedDwayne Thomas, CB, Louisiana State – undraftedDamarius Travis, S, Minnesota – undraftedKeionta Davis, DE, Tennessee-Chattanooga – undrafted2016Cyrus Jones, CB, Alabama – second roundJacoby Brissett, QB, North Carolina State – third roundMalcolm Mitchell, WR, Georgia – fourth roundJonathan Jones, CB, Auburn – undraftedBryce Williams, TE, East Carolina – undrafted2015Geneo Grissom, DE, Oklahoma – third roundTrey Flowers, DE, Arkansas – fourth roundTre’ Jackson, G, Florida State – fourth roundShaq Mason, G https://www.patriotsfanstore.com/Malcolm-Mitchell-Jersey , Georgia Tech – fourth roundJoe Cardona, LS, Navy – fifth round2014Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Eastern Illinois – second roundBryan Stork, C, Florida State – fourth roundJames White, RB, Wisconsin – fourth roundJemea Thomas, CB, Georgia Tech – sixth roundJon Halapio, G, Florida – sixth roundTyler Ott, LS, Harvard – undraftedGeorgia’s Isaiah Wynn, who earned the offensive lineman of the week award in 2018, stands as the lone first-round draft investment New England has gone on to make over the last five Senior Bowls.Florida’s Duke Dawson, Alabama’s Cyrus Jones and Eastern Illinois’ Jimmy Garoppolo check in as the trio of second-round investments. Youngstown State’s Derek Rivers, Troy’s Antonio Garcia, North Carolina State’s Jacoby Brissett and Oklahoma’s Geneo Grissom, meanwhile, all went in the third round.Three from that range remain in Foxborough.The Patriots have also filled out cards for 11 Senior Bowl invites on the final day of the draft since 2014, with Purdue’s Ja’Whaun Bentley, Miami’s Braxton Berrios, Arkansas’ Trey Flowers, Georgia Tech’s Shaq Mason, Navy’s Joe Cardona and Wisconsin’s James White still in the fold as the new league year draws near.And as for those who partook in the Senior Bowl and originally entered the league as members of the Patriots’ undrafted classes, Tennessee-Chattanooga’s Keionta Davis and Auburn’s Jonathan Jones are the two currently with the organization.A myriad of others over that stretch – including former Indianapolis Colts wideout Phillip Dorsett, former Cleveland Browns nose tackle Danny Shelton, former Detroit Lions linebacker Kyle Van Noy, former Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Eric Rowe and former Oakland Raiders safety Obi Melifonwu – have joined the company on secondary NFL stops.Time will tell just whom arrives three months from now on their first.